New CDC Data Is a Roadmap for Continuing to Decrease Teen Pregnancy in the U.S., Planned Parenthood Says

New York - New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics shows a 25 percent drop in the U.S. teen birth rate from 2007 to 2011. Declines in rates were steepest for Hispanic teenagers, among whom teen births dropped 34 percent.

Following is a statement from Leslie Kantor, Vice President of Education at Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“This data is a roadmap for continuing to decrease teen pregnancy in the U.S. When teens receive comprehensive sex education and have access to birth control, they avoid unintended pregnancy.

“We still have a lot to do, but the important thing is that we know what works. Teen birth rates among Hispanics and African Americans are higher than among other groups, and we have to do more.”

May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America released a poll on Latinos’ attitudes about the issue. The poll showed that Latinos overwhelmingly believe that preventing teen pregnancy must be a major priority, and that all sectors (schools, religion, government, families, and the media) have a critical role to play. The poll also showed overwhelming support among Latinos for comprehensive sex education and access to birth control. For more on the poll, click here.

Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of birth control and sex education. Last year, Planned Parenthood health centers provided birth control to more than two million people, and Planned Parenthood’s education programs reached more than 1.1 million people – 58 percent of them between the ages of 12 and 17 years old, and 30 percent of them Hispanic.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.